Shopgirl
by thatweirdchicknextdoor
Summary: Stressed, Sakura decides to drop everything and start an herb shop. The consequences are far from peaceful as her indirect affiliation with the Mizukage suddenly becomes direct. Not to mention, her Grandfather really did have reason to drive himself insane. Family roots are explored dangerously through a string of mishaps. And that little green book... ItaSaku. Non-massacre. AU


**It's, as usual, been a while. I've just started highschool and so forth so yeah... **

**Title: Shopgirl**

**Summary:**

**Sakura finds herself going down a misleading path. Finding a seemingly innocent book to lead her to a dream that she thought would never come true: to start an Herb Shop. Her ties with the Mizukage and Uchihas spark a sort of trouble she'd never imagine. Suddenly, she quickly finds herself in the criminal world, dictated by her assumedly dead ties created by her now dead relatives.**

**Notes:**

**This is an ItaSaku so to speak. It won't focus entirely on their relationship. Rather, this is Sakura-centric. As a flaming feminist, I realize that the Naruto females are horribly written, and are mostly regarded and ridiculed by their feelings. Although there are going to be feelings expressed, I thoroughly believe that they can have much better action scenes. Also, I really love Itachi. And lemons... Maybe. (They kinda diverge from the plot and maybe I'll want to focus on it...)**

**Main Characters: **

**-Sakura Haruno**

**-Itachi Uchiha**

**-Mei Terumei**

**-Kisame Hoshigake**

**Supporting:**

**-Naruto Uzumaki**

**-Sasuke Uchiha**

**-Tsunade**

**-Ino Yamanaka**

**-Jiraya**

**-Hinata Hyuuga**

**-Shikamaru**

**-Shisui Uchiha**

**-Sakura's mother (Her name slipped from my grasp...)**

**-A few others **

**There are going to be OCs, but they simply support the story. (E.g.; Sakura's Grandfather)**

**Think of this chapter as a prologue/first chapter. Although I should practice writing prologues, **

* * *

Sweat built on her brow. Her fervor and livid attitude had brought her to sublime concentration. Each little stitch slowly brought the flesh together. With the most important slices together, she sighed, counting to ten. The frustrated pink-haired woman was almost complete. The only thing she needed to do was control the impossible entropy of anger in her system. One. Two. Thr-

"Haruno-sama, is the patient almost done?" A high, ultra irritating voice of a girl startled her.

Another inexperienced, vapid little turd of an intern had to come in and disrupt yet another surgery. She sighed before making the next statement.

"Get Shizune-san, I'll finish up here." Sakura didn't even turn to look at the equally exhausted thing. Her inert posture kept her from losing total control of her much needed chakra.

The innocent intern had no clue and wouldn't have any control of what was sure to come, "Oh, but I wanted to see-"

"Shizune-san. Right now." Sakura said, firmness in her tone.

She calmed for a quick moment, the nurses and other medics were suspicious of her specious composure. Her hands glowed verdant. With amazing grace and energy, before the supporting staff could even blink, Sakura healed the man. The question was: Why couldn't she have done that before?

She took a deep breathe before her next statement, "I could've finished this surgery hours ago," she went towards the sink to wash the blood dying her gloves sanguine, then removed them with a snap as they stretched over her petite and nimble fingers, "But because we are so over-fucking-staffed…" She paused for a moment to regain her concentration, "Medics can't do a fucking thing without having an intern or another so called medic shove questions down their throat during critical times!" She yelled, everyone went pale. The lack of clamor evaded anymore outbursts from the fiery woman.

Small, rushed steps were heard in the background to hear the solid metal door slam open, "Sakura-chan, is everything-"

"Alright? Alright? I'll tell you what's alright!" Shizune felt her heart drop when the following two words were dropped out of Sakura's mouth:

"I quit!"

Everyone lost balance on their feet.

"Tell Tsunade I'll be out of Konoha for three weeks to hell knows where!"

She stormed out, stripping herself of her bloody uniform. She left the dreary, crowded hospital to let her bare arms free and bask in the glorious sun. For ten hours she had been unnecessarily cooped up in a room with a patient whose injuries were far from fatal. It could've taken her half-an-hour alone, but she had to train new workers. The constant babbling and fumbling of these unsuitable future doctors had her furious. She refused to train people she deemed unfit.

She quickly entered her small home, observing the unfamiliar surroundings. She always worked until late, and the torpor that came along had her only memorizing the location of her apartment. Seeing the beige walls and light wood floors in sunlight for the first time put fear in her. Working with minimal sleep was obviously unhealthy, she couldn't do many things like she used to. Like go out with friends or have missions.

Sakura fell into her barely used sofa. A cloud of dust that once coated the furniture had been relocated in the air. She cringed with disgust. To her right, in front of the sofa was a bookshelf. She recalled the memories of studying each and every one of them as a prelude to her training. A small green booklet had caught her attention, gleaming in her gaze. She stood, realizing the dull aches at the soles of her feet. Then, she curiously studied the bookshelf for a small moment. She inched closer to remove the booklet from her shelf, studying the cover. It was blank. Though also blank, the pages were yellowed and some were even ripped, clearly this little booklet had been in use before. She examined page by page, until she flipped the book to the last leaflet.

A seal of geometrical pattern had been implemented on this very book. She had not seen it before but nonetheless studied it carefully. Unfortunately, her lack of skill in fuinjutsu had drawn blanks. She sat back down on the sofa, careful to avoid another blinding cloud of dust, examining the small thing. She felt her eyes push in, her lids growing heavy… She decided to have a good night's rest. Of course, with the booklet under her pillow for later scrutiny.

…

She woke up twice. Once, very early because of her natural ability. And another to the sound of frantic knocking.

"Sakura-chan, open up!" An old, gruff voice belonging to a man called. She quickly distinguished it as Jiraya's. Very soon, she was reluctant to open the door. She settled back into bed, placing her arm underneath her pillow to touch a foreign object before remembering.

The seal.

Jiraya had a colorful knowledge of seals, Sakura conjured the idea that he could probably help unlock the secrets to her enigmatic object. Tired no more, she ran up to the entrance, peering through the peephole. She smiled to see the enlarged, cocky face. With alacrity, Sakura opened the door, ushered the man in, and sat him down at her rarely used dinner table.

Jiraya's brow portrayed bewilderment as Sakura quickly fired her kettle and slammed the booklet in front of him. At that point, he was baffled. Was he supposed to eat this book? Had she completely lost her mind after her melt down in a hospital? What was she boiling in that kettle? But really, what dominated his mind was how this little situation could easily be turned into a passage in his upcoming book. Usually, when women had invited him over with such eagerness, it ended with many pleasant outcomes.

"Jiraya-sama, at the last page of that booklet, there's a seal. Can you figure it out?" Her face was dangerously close to his as she said that.

Puzzled again, he opened the booklet, "Well, why not?"

"Thank you so much!" She gave a chaste kiss on his cheek. This was the first time her had experiences her placid, rather flirtatious mood. Jiraya placed a lewd smile as he turned the pages. He was finishing his research for the upcoming sequel as he analysed the strange markings. Then quickly, he returned from the euphoria. The seal on that book had taken his fascination.

"This is a seal developed by monks." He flipped the blank pages once again, "I know how to break it. Rarely do they use it, kind of advanced…" Jiraya held the book in the air, letting the light of the cheap chandelier fall onto it, "Where'd you find this in the first place?" Sakura placed the quickly finished tea on the table and sat beside. She placed her chin on her delicate palms and thought for a moment.

"On my bookshelf, I think I found it on the streets one day a while back and decided it would be a snazzy notebook."

"You mind if I break it right now?" Jiraya was always impatient. The only thing he could do with extreme caution was perversely peruse the women's bath house. Lately, the poor man had been finding only the elderly use them. His depression as a consequence went unnoticed.

"And destroy my apartment?" She didn't want much commotion, she remembered the last time he released a seal. Although it had been on Naruto and the Kyuubi, two weapons of mass destruction. She still didn't want to risk it, despite it being a mere booklet.

Jiraya's vision circled the hoary apartment, "I'll buy you a better one." He had a hunch, that this experiment was far from dangerous.

She knew this argument would lead to him just leaving without doing anything, "Fine, do what you want."

Jiraya proceeded to perform rapid hand seals. She sighed, massaging her head for the upcoming anticipated headache. Jiraya bit his finger, the blood gushed out, reminding her of the job she most recently quit. A poof of smoke appeared, it was laced with chakra no longer available to anyone's disposition. As the smoke dissipated, revealing yet again the booklet which didn't change.

"Nothing happened." Both relief and turmoil presented, she really wanted something out of the ordinary. Then again, she dealt with the unusual through the medium of her very daft teammates.

"The seal's gone." He said, shrugging his broad shoulders.

She sighed and flipped through the pages once more, only to find words and words of uncovered information. To her dismay, it was all information on herbs. Rare ones. Ones that could heal. Kill. Stimulate. Eat.

"I've never seen such information before…"

She weighed the object in her hands, it seemed thicker. It could now be deemed as a proper book. The specific locations of each herb, how to cook it, how to use it, what it was worth, every little detail was in this book. In addition to her own extensive knowledge of herbs, this chunk of information would prove useful in her following plans.

"Looks like we've uncovered a doozy." Jiraya said, hands relaxed in pockets. He leaned back on his chair, letting his white grizzly hair touch her dusty floors, "Speaking of which, Tsunade sent me to ask what the hell's your problem?"

Sakura glared at nothing in particular, her ire at the hospital once again lighted, "Tell Shishou-sama that her new system is crap. There are plenty of doctors at her disposition anyways." Her spiteful tone set Jiraya aback. An angry Sakura he could deal with, but one simultaneously upset, frustrated, and livid young woman he couldn't deal with.

Yet Jiraya lit up, watching the young woman fend for her opinions had him recall of past times, "Well, since I kindly did this service, shouldn't I have payment in return?" He raised his eyebrows suggestively.

Sakura remained pensive until she thought of a retort to Jiraya's proposition, "You can keep my most hated bra."

He grunted, "Fair enough."

"I'm leaving tonight, by the time I'm back, things better change or I'll force them to." She sighed with a dreamy face, hugging her beguiling little book.

"What are ya' plannin' to do?"

"I'm gonna start a business." Jiraya's brows furrowed, the girl was a medic, a very good one. If not, the best. Her skills were needed in the area where she could utilize them often, like in the hospital. He would be a walking bag of bones if it weren't for people like Tsunade and herself. However, questioning her decisions wouldn't have been the best of ideas. He believed that she would have enough common sense to start a business relating to her polished set of skills.

"Best regards kiddo." That's all he could say, especially with the unstable economic climate of Konoha.

"You're the one that's gotta leave." She pulled out her large bag, placing the book in a box before putting it in the bag.

He stood, shaking his head in amusement as he left. Sakura stared at his untouched cup of tea, she felt guilt.

…

Maybe this journey was just a series of unfortunate events. She sat in her cell, cold grey walls surrounding her. She was lucky to have put a seal on her confiscated bag. Seeds of the herbs she had worked so hard to collect were in there. The yellowing bruises from her harsh interview all over her body ached. Yet she couldn't heal herself, her arms were bonded with such powerful seals even her external stored resources were rendered useless.

A couple of guards inspected her. She attempted to size them up herself in return. Though, she failed miserably. Her faltering gaze was hardly intimidating.

"Wow, I've never seen extreme measures taken on a kunoichi before!" Sakura mused, they should've been amazed. Her svelte figure was the next thing the guards spoke about. She then tuned them out.

The guards observed like she was an animal at the zoo. Her pink hair had her already compared to a peacock. Gasps of surprise were suddenly heard. She had no more adrenaline left to pay much attention to the inside business of the prison. Instead, she sat miserable, hungry, spent. Her lids heavy, observing a feminine silhouette appear in front of the other side of Sakura's box.

The womanly figure deposited envy slowly in the heart of Sakura. Long brown hair slick and shiny in the harsh fluorescent lighting, graceful heels, a tiny waist. The only thing she couldn't decipher was the woman's face.

"Haruno Sakura-chan?" The friendly calling of her name had left her with slight hope. She wouldn't be rotting in prison for the rest of her life. "Tsunade's apprentice in my prison? This isn't too good… I'm really trying to get external relations regulated…" Sudden bickering between her and the guards became too tedious to follow. And Sakura's hazy vision couldn't recognize the woman as her counterpart did, her dull aquamarine eyes faded in and out. Her hearing wasn't doing much better.

"Yoo-hoo… Sakura-chan?"

Her thoughts forsaken, her mind forsaken, and then her vision. Her vision went black.

"Oh she's alive!" She felt her chakra run through her body once more. She took the time to observe beyond the female face. She wasn't in prison like before. Although, so dehydrated, she went mute. The elongated royal blue sleeve of the concerned woman suddenly tangled with the desperate hand of the young medic. Sakura tugged her sleeve hard, the woman responded with curiousity.

"Water…" Sakura drawled through a whisper.

The female above her had a nervous glow as she realized she hadn't even fed her captive, "Oh! Yeah!" The soothing sound of a tap turned on gave life to her lifeless mind. Sakura's survival instincts had been switched on.

Sakura sat up and snatched the glass, gulping it down like Tsunade and her sake. Out of breathe, she held the now empty glass, "More." Her laboured breathing and hazy vision stabilized. She finally recognized the woman serving her. Awkwardly, she slid out of the bed and kneeled before her.

"Mizukage-sama." She said, exasperated with herself, "I apologize for what I did."

"Oh," She waved her hand in dismissal, "just call me Mei-chan," She refilled the glass of water and inched toward Sakura, offering a hand to stand her up, "You didn't mean much harm, you don't even have your band of affiliation on. I take it you want to do some personal research?"

Baffled by her astute observations, Sakura sheepishly laughed, "How did you know?"

"Lie detector results." So her candid confession of overly professed passion really did help her freedom.

Disappointed flashed for a second, "Oh."

"You went through a little more than I would've wanted, I'll set you free on one condition." Mei handed yet another full glass of chilled water, Sakura downed it with keen thirst.

Sakura could've escaped that very moment, the seals on her wrists were taken off. Her energy had been completely restored from her deep, carnivorous sleep. Her belongings weren't far either. They were across the room, untouched. But she wanted good relations with people, especially ones so high in power. In addition, if she attempted any more frivolous stunts, an ANBU squad would be sent to hunt her down. Anxiety appeared for a moment, she could've had a squad after her at that moment. Despite having permission to leave from a stressed and drunk Hokage.

Wiping her mouth after a sigh of content, she became serious once more, "What's the condition?"

"You have to heal the one I love." Mei seemed desperate, "You must never tell anyone of my relations with this man." Tears dramatically streamed down her face, "The entire nation will…"

"How bad is it?" She had no time for games or ridiculous scenes.

She blew her nose. Already in hysterics, Mei's concern was that she'd never be married. It was satire feed for the other Kages who knew her, particularly Tsunade, "The entire nation will look down upon me!"

"Uh… No, I mean his condition."

"Are you well rested?" Her bawling halted, leaning forward towards Sakura whom subtlety narrowed her eyes and lowered her brows.

"I guess so."

Mei grabbed her wavering wrist, guiding her to another room in what seemed to be a hotel. The room her lover was in was far more luxurious compared to what Sakura had. However, as luxurious as it was, it didn't deter from the sick man lying in the bed in the middle of the room. Jaundice and bruises covered him. Instinctively, Sakura escaped the grasp of the Mizukage to have a closer look.

"What the hell happened?" Sakura immediately checked his pulse and brought a glowing hand to his chest, feeling the murmur of a heartbeat. He was barely alive. The man seemed to be a civilian, no defining muscle, aged quite a bit. Then again, it could've been a symptom.

"He was attacked and poisoned by a few nuke-nin," The Mizukage placed a gentle hand on his forehead, checking for a fever, "At first he was fine, but he gradually went under demise."

"Where did he get poisoned?"

"Just outside of Kirigakure." Mei adjusted her heavy eccentric bangs in restlessness.

If this was the doing of poison, it most likely wasn't from some sort of animal or insect. In this region, the plants were more poisonous. Yet, if they were missing-nin, the use of poison occurred more often with shinobi in Sunagakure.

"Where were the nuke-nin originally from?"

"My very own village." She said, discontentment in the air.

Sakura sucked in her cheeks, questioning whether asking for her bag would be inappropriate. Then again, if the woman did want this man healed and alive, she needed her book. She had a hunch. Although having not studied every herb in this region, Sakura knew which one could cause such bruising and jaundice.

"May I have my bag? I think I may have the anti-venom."

"I'll go get it."

Nostalgia hit Sakura as the Kage left. It had been months since she last treated someone. She couldn't be patient much longer. Her growing passion nested inside her once more. In a flash, Mei brought the bag to Sakura. Already, Sakura was healing the damage on his unconscious body. The swelling of the bruises diminished rapidly. The nimble technique Sakura owned greatly impressed the Kage.

"I know you're busy, but here's your bag." Mei softly mumbled.

Sakura nodded, releasing the seal protecting the bag and its contents. Tubes of different liquids and bags of seeds and powders overwhelmed the Kage.

"When you said you wanted to establish shop, you really meant it."

Sakura chuckled, "This is only about a fraction of what I collected so far." Sakura had secret returns to Konoha to store her findings in her small apartment.

"Many cultures would be outraged to know you plucked something supposedly theirs." The Kage said, dead serious, "I'll let you cultivate our national treasure the way you want, but you mustn't use it against anyone. It will give us a bad reputation." She pointed to a clear bag of dried herbs and seeds labelled: "The Kirigakure's rose."

This flower and herb, although now dried and lacking in life was once one of the most beautiful flowers Sakura had ever seen. In the little green book, it said the flower had the most potential as anti-venom, a tea, and the complete opposite: The poison. It all depended where you extracted from. The fragrant azure petals although did not make the shape of a rose, they were tear dropped holding the shape similar to a lily. The petals were known for an extra delicious accessory in tea. Particularly green teas as they almost wholly eliminated the bitterness. The stem and leaf were known to cure colds and rashes. If you put it into a tea or even soup, it would ail stomach problems and inflamed tonsils. Lastly, the roots. The wiry roots were always a bright violet when absolutely ripe. That's when you could remove the liquid stored in them with a syringe. Though very carefully, if it came into contact with bare skin, you would end up like the Mizukage's lover.

"Could you find me a glass of hot water?" Sakura carefully pulled out the herb, ready to grind the stem into a powder with her mortar and pestle at the bottom of her messenger bag. She pulled out the green booklet very carefully as she grinded, reading the page on the rose.

The Mizukage rushed in with a mug in her manicured hands.

"How hot do you want this?"

"Boiling, actually." Quickly, she put the book away, memorizing the instructions to the anti-venom.

"Alright," The Kage made a few hand seals. Quickly, the water bubbled up. Sakura remembered she had a kekkai-genkai. Although, Sakura did not remember her ability to change the temperature of water, "Here you are!"

Sakura carefully poured the water into the mortar, mixing it with the pestle to smooth, yellowish and creamy paste. She cringed as she dipped her fingers in the fresh paste. The heat was still slightly unbearable. She blew on her fingers to cool down, and then smeared the warm paste on his top lip. The vapor would soon penetrate his airways and into his bloodstream, eventually eliminating the poison that attacked his liver. To speed up this process, Sakura brought her palm forward, controlling some of her chakra towards his nostrils and slowly navigated to his chest.

The Mizukage watched in shock as his yellowing skin transitioned to pink once more. The swelling of the bruises halted, leaving reddish sores that would eventually fade away to her expectations. Her eyes then fixed on Sakura, whom concentrated with a straight face. Yet, the grace of her palm maneuvering from area to area felt almost as if she were preforming on stage.

"Done!"

"Th-thank you!"

Her lover woke from slumber, and the Mizukage rushed to his side, giving him a suffocating embrace.

Sakura smiled warmly, the touching scene reminded her of when she was once in love with her teammate. When she found out he reciprocated, the passion then became intense. However, the pairing was hapless, it had to end. Sakura didn't regret anything, neither did he, instead, the memories left, good and bad were cherished by both parties, "I'll be on my leave now."

"Wait!"

Mei pulled out her wallet, "I don't need any money, don't worry." Sakura chuckled.

"In order to start a business, you must have some sort of finances in the beginning." She said, pulling out a thick stack of ryo. "Although this isn't enough to launch it, it should cover for repairs of any building."

"I don't-"

"Take it." She became menacing. With fear in her gaze, Sakura slowly took the thick stack of cash from Mei and put it into her bag.

"Good. Sakura-chan, I hope to see your shop successful! I hope to stop by some time!" Sakura had already found a customer. What luck.

Her aquamarine gaze fixed on Mei's lover. His skin went pale blue, and his eyes, like a shark's. Was he one of those modified fighters? She hadn't paid attention before she healed him. Obviously, he was a very robust man, his chakra very strong as the poison dissipated. It would take a lot to bring him to a rout. Although this was the mist's problem, she couldn't help but feel something was off. However, it would be better not to ask questions.

Sakura bowed politely before leaving, "Thank you for freeing me, would you be an open sponsor?"

"Keep the reasons quiet, but in case one of my own come in and see the herb, tell them I allowed it."

She inched toward her lover, and he possessively grabbed her waist. She giggled as he nuzzled his face in her neck. Clearly, they were in love, she left during their little moment of reunion.

…

"Sakura," Tsunade sat at her desk, clearly pissed, "it's been six months."

"I'm aware." Sakura planned to get the worst over with. After healing Mei's lover, Sakura returned to Konoha permanently. Before setting shop, she knew she had to at least apologize to Tsunade. Maybe explain a few details.

"Do you have anything to say? Maybe even return to the hospital after your six months of vacation?"

Vacation? Hardly. If spending many sleepless nights running from tribes and doing an exhausting amount of research was called a vacation, her next set of plans would be sublime to her resting period.

"I apologize Shishou-sama, I had to leave for my plans." Tsunade rubbed her temples, annoyed by the sun pulling itself out of the mountains. Dawn approached well.

"Yes, Jiraya notified me of your business plans…" A look of contempt from Tsunade upset the pinkette.

Sakura snapped, "Although it's very clear that you want me back at the hospital. I will not return. We were going through an abundance of what I am very sure are very capable workers." Sarcasm was laced through her words, "So skilled that one of them happened to accidentally burn down the medicine lab! I refuse to work in that idiotic environment! My shop will replace that lab far better than any other solution…" The sudden livid honey hued glare Tsunade gave sent shivers down Sakura's spine, "Y-You can have me on call if I'm ever really needed."

The glare calmed, as did Sakura, "Great minds think alike, I'll accept your plans, have you bought land?" Tsunade asked.

"My grandfather owned something up on the Sakura fields." Sakura's name came from a little hill her family owned, many believed on this very hill, the Sakura trees blossomed the fullest and most hued in all of Konoha. Her grandfather built a little house to live in on the very top of the highest hill. Although abandoned, she spoke with her parents about it, leading them to help her find the will and ownership. Things seemed to fall into place as she thought about it.

"Good, and I take it you have saved enough to start and maintain the shop?"

"Yes."

"Apprentices or workers?"

Sakura thought for a moment, "That will come later."

For now, she wanted her own recluse of a shop without an ignorant trainee running around and smashing jars.

…

Prologue end

…

It had been a long time since Sakura last visited her grandfather's cherished land. Guilt settled in as she thought about the neglect and lack of time her family had to take care of the place. The land itself was huge and forested. It would be very easy to get lost among the tall trees. Luckily, there was- although broken, a trail of pavement leading to the house on top of the hill.

Honestly, Sakura had no idea what she could do with all the idle land surrounding. As a little girl, she became facilely intimidated by the sheer grandeur of the land. With the forest so thick and vast, she believed monsters actually resided in them. It was however extremely rational at the time to her shallow mind because her now dead grandfather always seemed to squirm every time she mentioned the land. He made it seem as if it were cursed.

Later, her parents explained that he had been mentally ill to a further mature Sakura. With her shallow creative mind gone, it made sense. Though, it had been a bit depressing. The old man was colorful. Telling all sorts of original fables that later helped her bring joy to her busy and tiring life.

Going up the hill, Sakura made a reminder to first clean his grave located behind the home. Her jaw clenched in emotional distress and culpability seeing the stains of rust and excrement from the birds. Entering the forsaken house, she realized she needed to get some heavy repairs done. Her money could've easily been sucked out through such a method. However, it was necessary. She hoped however, that at least the foundation was stable. Maybe she could get Yamato to help repair. A year ago, the spooky man fled from ANBU to pursue a career in construction. She had healed him multiple times in her own apartment because of his hate for the scent of hospital air. Maybe she could save some money there.

Thing was, with Yamato doing whatever he wanted. He was slightly unpredictable. The chances of her catching the man on the street were low. And he was illusive, circumventing any situation where he could actually work. It was strange, yet you could see his work done at least on one house on every street. All that work however was done all in one week simultaneously because he _felt_ like it.

Quickly, Sakura ruled that option out. She supposed she could get the work done by hand, maybe even asking Naruto to lend a hand when she got particularly exhausted.

She walked over to the kitchen on the other side of the house. The floors creaked uncomfortably, reminding her that they too also needed replacement. She checked to see whether water was still running. Thankfully it was, however, the reddish-brown tint of the water showed the pipes and faucets needed switching.

"Sakura!" The voice of her mother called.

Sakura twisted her neck to see her mother standing behind her, "What are you doing here?"

"I haven't seen you in a while, at least come and hug your mother!" Sakura's fiery tember came from her sandy blonde mother.

Sakura snorted and they embraced. A loud creek came from the house and suddenly, they were pulled over to the far side of the kitchen instead of the middle.

"And there's the foundation."

"You have a lot of work ahead of you," She chuckled, "Let's go have tea outside, I have a few things to address."

"Yes."

They stepped out of the house, Sakura ended up walking on a collapsing floor. Her mother, instead of helping her daughter's stuck foot, laughed so hard that she needed support from the walls. Hand to wall contact. The extra weight caused the wall to cave in.

…

"Sakura, I don't know how to break this to you, but your grandfather was in extreme debt."

They had just finished eating the expensive sushi and went to the sweets.

"What does that mean for me?"

"Since you decided to reclaim the land… The debt's been placed on to you. Your father and I have already paid off half so it shouldn't be as overwhelming."

"Huh…" She drawled, unable to think. Her savings from working at the hospital covered construction if she did it herself. Marketing and everything else weren't to statically funded at that moment.

"And… May I ask how much and where this debt came from?"

"Well, we all know your Granddad's a bit daft… He made a silly deal with a gang. I don't know what it was for, but apparently, nested in this forest, there's a lair. He didn't sleep properly for the rest of his life, fearing they could kill him in his sleep."

"Why didn't you ask me to eliminate their activities in the first place?" She said, irritation clearly on her face.

"At the time you weren't as strong… Right now, since your fancy reputation came up, they haven't bothered too much about the payments."

"So there is no debt?"

"It should be on the back of your mind," She said, nonchalant, "I would recommend getting your jounin buddies to scout around and kick their asses. Give your granddad some sort of revenge."

"I'll make sure of it," Sakura replied, looking over to his grave a few metres away from the women. Even from afar, the stains were prominent. She'd have to clean the tombstone before doing anything else.

…

Sakura held heavy duty detergents and sponges in one arm and a saw in another. After the pleasant meeting with her mother, Sakura went straight to work. She scrubbed the tombstone clean, smiling at the now shiny and polished plaque engraved with her grandfather's name.

_Here lies Haruno Sakumo_

_XXXX-XXXX_

A sense of melancholy rushed through her. To think, civilian gangsters still had the nerve to terrorize other civilians even if their granddaughters are famous for their ability to kill. She remembered how he died, the autopsy said natural causes. But in reality, the night before his death, Sakura had learned something new. A particular herb that made the body look as if its victims died naturally. She eagerly explained the details at dinner of that herb when the entire family was over. It was a huge mistake.

Strangely, no one ever blamed her, and maybe, there was nothing left for Sakumo to live for. His mental health stooped, there was no point.

To metaphorically let go, Sakura was ready to knock a few trees down with her saw. The foundation desperately needed repairs, and so did the entire structure. Then again, as far as she knew, the home didn't have a basement. She could lift it and put a few padstones underneath instead, as a temporary of course until she could find Yamato.

As her saw made contact with the first tree, a very poignant pain in her heart decided to develop. Maybe she would spend some extra cash buying materials.

Dejected, she sat by the tombstone observing the unkempt garden. At one point, the little pond was crystal clear. Now, it was green with algae. Would she allow herself to at least fix that?

Sakura watched the clear, sunny sky. It wasn't too warm or too cold. A cry of a hawk startled her peace. She furrowed her brow, hawks weren't native to Konoha. She spotted the bird, high and mighty in the air, making a descent towards her. Was this a magic sign of sorts, telling her to stop whatever she's doing?

The hawk swept down, she covered her head with her arms, feeling something drop right on top of her. Then another slimy thing dropped. It smelled really bad.

What interested her was the first thing. A piece of paper rolled up. Ignoring the rank poo on her arm, she unrolled the paper:

_Sakura,_

_I'm inviting you over to dinner tonight. It's just going to be Naruto, Aniki, and Shisui that are accompanying. I could get into details as to why this is occurring but it'll be easier to speak to you about it._

_-Sasuke_

Sakura made a few hand seals before summoning her own. Her great slug, Katsuyu popped up, miniscule, just as Sakura would've liked.

"Sakura-chan, what do you need?" Katsuyu said.

"I need you to deliver a note that I'm about to write."

"To whom?"

"Sasuke-kun."

"Ah… And… Is that bird poop?"

"Why yes, yes it is."

_Asshole-kun,_

_Your bird decided it would be absolutely polite to take a shit on your recipient. Anyways, I accept your invitation. Is there anything in particular that I need to bring? I know wine is always a must. But what does your cousin and brother like? I haven't met them yet. And you know, after my six months of leave, you and Naruto could've at least come and invited me in person._

_-Sakura-CHAN_

_P.S.: Honorifics are in these days, you know. If you can't address me or Naruto-kun in them, at least Kakashi-sempai._

"That's a very angry letter." Katsuyu said, proof-reading.

"He's used to it. And spit some acid on his hair, will ya'?"

…

_Sakura,_

_Stop being such a shrew. Anyways, Itachi and Shisui don't really have any preferences. They do however enjoy organic wine. Remember those extra chocolates and candies you made? They quite enjoy those. Maybe not through words or anything but they lit up eating those treats a few years ago. Hard liquor would be kind as well. I'll pay you back. Otou-san and Okaa-san are out on a vacation slash political meeting, don't worry about dress._

-_Sasuke_

_P.S.: Welcome back. We almost held a funeral a few weeks ago. And I forgot to mention to be there by seven. _

The sun set by the very time Sakura left her apartment. A meticulously wrapped box of homemade chocolate carefully carried in her palms shone under the street lights that came on individually. With every step she took, a new lamp would come on, almost as if they were guiding the way. Perhaps Sakura had popped too many truffles herself, the oxytocin rushing throughout her bloodstream. The last time she felt so happy and well rested in Konoha had been a while, despite all the frustrations regarding her hapless land.

"Sasuke-kun!" She said, holding the chocolates and alcohol in her arms before bringing Sasuke to an embrace, "I've missed you!"

Sasuke blinked, "Sakura? You really did have a vacation." He smirked, bringing themselves out of the embrace, "Welcome back, I'll take the goods, have a seat in the dining room."

"Thanks." She beamed.

Sakura navigated over to the sliding doors, revealing her blond teammate, Naruto, glaring contemptuously at one of Sasuke's relatives. It was Shisui, the one with the curly hair, she believed, staring back.

"Man, you're good at everything aren't ya'?" Naruto said, narrowing his eyes. It appeared to be a staring contest. Naruto's eyes were already watering, his brow showed struggles to keep his eyes open. Shisui didn't even show signs of struggling, he didn't even respond to Naruto's taunts. Sakura then focused on Itachi whom reciprocated, he gave a nod in acknowledgement. As did she.

She remembered encountering Itachi only one time other than this one. A large council meeting was held, and an Uchiha needed to represent the clan. Itachi had just turned twenty-one, his parents deemed him suitable for the meeting. Sakura had to fetch food to make what turned out to be a six hour meeting of tension. She remembered that the strangest item she had to prepare was an extremely sweet tea with milk and honey.

_As she served the drink to the belying man, she made a joke:_

"_Have you tried hot milk and honey together? I'll make some after you finish this cup and put some matcha powder to taste." Her tone was laced with slight sarcasm, nothing to disrespect, but slightly amusing._

_Surprisingly, he agreed, "That would be sublime, thank you very much Haruno-san." That was the first time she ever heard the voice of Itachi Uchiha. Something so low and manly wanting something so sweet… She had never encountered someone so patient. He stated his opinion at the end of the meeting, pointing out the inaccuracies and bias judgements. Not once did he leave his seat for the six hours, even taking notes once in a while._

_She stuttered, "Uh… No problem." Blinking a few times, she shook out of the entrapping stupor and went to serve another member of the meeting._

"Naruto-kun?" She said, breaking the tension between them.

"Ah! Dammit! Rematch tomorrow, got it?"

"You got it," Shisui said, triumphant. "I will win this." His voice was low, but not as smooth or articulate as his cousin's.

"Sakura-chan," Naruto pouted, "that was the tie-breaker!" He then stared at her, content to see her no longer fatigued by her previous tired daily routine, "I'm glad you're back."

"I am too." Sakura sat in between Naruto and Itachi, "What is the reason for this little get together?"

Naruto smiled, "To welcome you back, silly!" He said, patting her on her back.

"I apologize for leaving so brashly, I didn't even say a proper goodbye." She played with the ends of her skirt, and then fidgeted, brushing through her long pink ponytail with her fingers.

"Hey, you had a personal mission. We all need to have those once in a while!" Naruto continued, "Now, you tell us the interesting stories and people you've encountered!"

Something was off. Normally, doing such a thing as selfishly as she did, Naruto would've at least had a moment where he would show a feeling of hate towards her.

"Naruto-kun? Why haven't you or Sasuke-kun really said anything? Aren't you the least bit angry or upset with me?"

Maybe such a tension upbringing question wasn't suitable for the dinner table. Itachi and Shisui cocked their heads slightly, confused. Naruto sucked in his cheeks, looking down for a moment.

"The entire community thought it'd be better not to ask questions or be openly upset by your decision. You give so much of yourself, it was suiting you do something for yourself. After your leave, Baa-san took it upon herself and fixed the hospital system herself. Although things aren't as quick, I'm no longer afraid to get poked by a needle."

"That's right," Shisui piped in, gaining her sudden attention, "You did nothing wrong, it was like a rehabilitation for the hospital. You did the right thing."

At that very moment, Sasuke came in with trays of food, "Sakura-_chan_, this dinner is to celebrate you being back. Quit feeling guilty, will ya'?"

In reality, her conscience went through the roof. She should've been shunned, she should've been missed. Then she saw it. She saw the odium. The disgust. The shame. Radiating from the bottom of her heart directing towards her.

"Of course! Let's have dinner. Teme, did you cook ramen?"

…

Shisui, Sasuke, and Naruto caught each other in a drinking game. All of them passed out by the time they could actually pick a winner. Neither Sakura nor Itachi were in the mood to keep score. They weren't so interested in drinking anyways for personal reasons (Sakura didn't want to be the next Tsunade, so she became abstemious towards alcohol and other addictive means). She stayed quiet during the dinner, something completely out of place, especially for her. The normally outspoken girl felt no need to partake in conversation. Itachi noticed this quite well, after all, the description and little anecdotes he had pertaining to this Sakura character was far from what was in front of him.

On the other hand, Sakura was exhausted. She had brought herself down to a very low level from the start of the dinner, and she had her land and shop in her head most of the time. Occasionally, she'd speak of her plans, and everyone understood why she left after the brief few sentences she managed her mouth to escape. Both Naruto and Sasuke felt her outlandish persona, but they chose to keep quiet.

"Haruno-san," Itachi said. She turned her head slowly to face Itachi. Fatigue clear from the slant of her shoulders, "I heard you were planning a business."

She nodded, "Yes, but it appears that I may have bitten more off than I can chew. The building's at a horrid state of repair and Yamato-san is nowhere to be found. Then there's marketing, and the other tidbits…" She sighed, smiling with desperation, "And there's this gang that's threatening the family having some sort of lair in the middle of my land because my Oji-chan decided… I don't know the rest of it, actually… I'm kinda' drunk."

The stress was apparent, Itachi saw right through it from the beginning. Her skills as a medic were quite renowned when he had met her the first time. Of course, she had worked herself to the point where she didn't even sleep for four days. Itachi happened to be the last patient before so. He also didn't count that time as actually meeting her. Just an encounter.

_After finally convincing himself to get treatment for his swollen arm after sparing with his cousin, Itachi found himself in the hospital bed, stripped naked by a nurse. He heard many conspiring plots against him fluttering around by the squeals of the female staff. Most seemed desperate for a child and some sort of recognition. He advised himself not to take any medication from the staff until he consulted a doctor. _

_A flash of pink burst through the door as he made mental notes, "Okay, okay… Itachi-san…" Haruno Sakura groggily scanned her paper, "Strange, you never get hurt…"_

_It was a shocking sight. The normally collected girl stumbled across the room to get to him, almost trampling on top of him._

"_You've got a broken arm!" She said, scanning the uninjured arm, eyelids falling as she forced them open. _

_Although he wanted to request another doctor, he found it too amusing. Due to the prestige of his family, most doctors were most literally in and out, no conversation, nothing. Though, with her torpor, he wondered if she were actually capable of handling her job. He suddenly felt a cooling surge throughout his body. However, the chakra entered the wrong arm. Although it could've been a faster process if she were fully conscious, his injury miraculously healed._

_Shortly after, she fainted. Claiming the amount of hours she stayed up in a row. Then saying she felt something nice and smelled it too. He had just had a coffee. She must of spoke about that as she lay in his arms. For two hours._

_She didn't remember anything. _

And thank god she didn't.

"I'll walk you home," he said, used to dealing with the inebriated Sakura, "If you'd like, I can attempt to contact Yamato-san." He held a hand out, helping her stand from her kneeling position.

"That would be much appreciated. Will you keep Naruto-kun here until tomorrow?"

"I guess so…" Itachi eyed the room, "He'll have to clean up."

"That's never his thing. He's a heavy sleeper too. You gotta' punch him." Sakura instructed, waving a faltering fist.

…

Sakura found herself sat in the middle of her lounge area. Reading books on herbs and revising what she had learned before. The night before, her walk with Itachi had overwhelmed her to the point of silence. He was so _pretty._ The raven hair trailing down past his neck and long eyelashes captivated her the entire walk. The small glances back and forth from her side replaced the need to speak. Instead, the humid conditions and the sound of cicadas at night made the silence feel full and satisfactory. The calm she felt at the time had made her wonder whether vacations were supposed to be like this. Though, she couldn't imagine it lasting a few weeks.

Clearly, although slightly eccentric when it came to beverages, Uchiha Itachi was a pleasant fellow.

Changing directions in thought, if she wanted to make a profit, she had to create something more than just an herb shop. She could bake a few treats, and had been a tea fanatic since she was little. Perfumes with the herbs would work greatly as well. Maybe even recipes for different cures…

She wrote these ideas down with great concentration. Then, she checked her savings. Although the Mizukage had given her a generous amount, and if she were to get Yamato, she'd still have some debt. In addition, the plumbing was a nightmare, and there was no electrical. You'd have to boil a large pot in one of the far rooms to have a hot bath. Redoing that would be a nightmare.

It would've been a better idea to build a new house entirely. Yet, the emotional attachment got to her. She didn't want to destroy the old house. There were many memories she couldn't just throw away. Supposedly, she could do a few more missions for gaining funds. Her savings from her hospital salary was almost completely blown off with her six month leave anyways. Then again, the types of missions that would replete her funds would take months.

A knock on her door halted her brooding. Her cheeks blew up and she let the air out slowly.

"Door's open!"

The doorknob turned slowly, and whoever behind the door let it creak open. Chills went down her spin, seeing a scruffy man with long hair and wide piercing eyes, perfectly round. Sakura freaked, charging towards the man with her strongest fist, sending him flying in the air. She furrowed her brows, she could've sworn hearing "Sakura-chan, it's me, Yamato!"

Sakura, inert with bewilderment, deducted that the resemblance of their short encounter could've well been Yamato. Yet, she couldn't be too sure. She hadn't spoken with him in a year. Her memory of his tone of voice was lost.

"Sakura-chan."

The man was right behind her, "Ack!"She screamed. Another flying fist sent him unconscious on her sofa. The dust and stuffing flew out. It was time for new furniture. This time, she slowly approached the man, kunai equipped. It looked like a sleeping Yamato… But with facial hair.

She let her guard down, checking his pulse. The man was knocked out cold. Her nose irritably twitched, she didn't mean to concentrate such an amount of chakra in her fist.

"_I heard a scream." Sakura said to herself, whilst being in her robes. She quickly dipped herself in the safety of the hot water. _

_Five man missions to her were unnecessary. An upbraiding led to an argument which led her to a mission where she would only act as field medic- Tsunade had been most cruel. It was a simple mission too. They didn't need any specific medics. They didn't need Sai. The so-called artist with his emotionless façade had called her ugly for some reason. It didn't really deter her from anything or lead her to feel horrible about herself, but simply, it irritated her. _

_The scream came from the male's side of the hot spring. The familiarity of Naruto's voice._

_She giggled, sadistically enjoying the orchestra of terror as she dipped her head into the soothing water. _

_When she reached the meeting place after the period of relaxation, her jaw dropped. Seeing the bright white faces of Sasuke, Naruto, and Sai. Yamato held a flashlight in his chest bindings, smiling. Sakura went the same shade of alabaster as everyone else. So that's what it was all about. And she thought she could at least have some rest from strange captains. _

Yamato awoke, turning his aching head to see Sakura organizing papers scattered all over her floor. Every piece of paper he focused his vision on seemed to have some sort of deal with numbers. They weren't the best ones either.

"Sakura-chan, I'm sorry for scaring you earlier." He sat up, locking his severe eyes with her tired ones.

"It's alright, I knocked you out in return, there's no need to apologize." She smiled, stacking the organized papers in her arms before getting up and setting them on the table.

"I understand you want to start a business?" He said, stopping Sakura's actions.

"Did Itachi-san actually get to you?"

"A raven sent me a note," he searched his pockets, showing the generically written request.

Of course, ravens were the summoning animal of Itachi. Her heart warmed to the thought of him actually helping her out. After all, he, just like Shisui was a great and busy man.

…

Office documents were scattered everywhere. Mei clutched her stomach in pain, it chucked repeatedly. The morose clear as her cheeks swelled from the salty tears. She clenched her fists until they were white, a small but devastating note compressed within them.

_Mei,_

_I'm sorry, but we can no longer be together. _

_-Kisame._

She could no longer sense his presence in the village. And strangely, that string connecting the two had suddenly snapped, the counterpart untraceable.

What had Kisame done? Had he been caught?

Loud, rude knocks at her door startled the woman, "Come in."

Her voice faltered as she spoke. Two officers came in. Both emotionless, their sharp gazes bore through her.

"Mizukage-sama, we are terribly sorry for this," She furrowed her brow, "Under orders, we will have to arrest you. Please do not struggle for otherwise, we are obligated to use force." One officer stated.

The other took a lightning fast step behind her, cuffing her wrists, "Your acts of treason have brought trouble to our society. You are to immediately pass your title." Treason? Had someone figured her relationship with Kisame? She hadn't done anything else to wrong her beloved land.

She jerked, automatically burning Kisame's note with perfect chakra control and stealth, "Under whose regards?"

"The council."

…

**I recommend that you should give reviews. Like seriously, say anything. I would like feedback. Small reminder that this, like all my other stories are unbetaed. I plan to re-read eventually, but chapter two is more of a priority at the moment. **


End file.
